All posts by imreal

Health: Abortion

Green Seal to Prohibit All PFAS in Certified Paints, Coatings and Floor Care Products

Leave a comment


Green Seal’s standards have long prohibited long-chain PFAS formally classified as hazardous. However, a growing body of evidence indicates that short-chain PFAS have the same harmful health and environmental effects as the legacy PFAS they are replacing. Green Seal will update its standards for paints and coatings, floor care products, adhesives, and degreasers to prohibit all approximately 12,000 chemicals in this class.

PFAS are frequently used as functional ingredients in these product categories. A recent study found that half of tested paint products contain PFAS, which may be used for glossiness, to reduce peeling, or for stain resistance or water repellency. Most acrylic and wax floor finishes on the market contain PFAS as leveling and wetting agents, and PFAS are also used to increase wettability in adhesives or the reduce flammability in cleaning and degreasing agents.

Green Seal’s proposed updates to its standards for these product categories follows the non-profit’s prohibition of all PFAS in certified cleaning and personal care products last year. Green Seal is taking a phased approach to implementing PFAS prohibitions to ensure its standards effectively address manufacturing and use considerations that vary by product category, including exposure pathways, functional performance, and regrettable substitutes.‥

“Both producers and buyers know the hazards of PFAS but lack reliable ways to ensure products are free of these toxic chemicals,” said Doug Gatlin, CEO of Green Seal. “Green Seal’s standard criteria will eliminate PFAS throughout the product formula supply chain while maintaining performance requirements, so buyers can choose safer, healthier, and effective products with confidence.”

In addition to its certification programs, Green Seal has partnered with material-health leader HPDC to become an approved preparer and third-party verifier of Health Product Declarations (HPDs). Whether or not a product is certified, Green Seal can prepare an HPD report for it to increase ingredient transparency while also maintaining critical trade secrets, and to assure that the product counts toward the LEED v4.1 Material Ingredient credit.

Learn more about Green Seal’s programs and initiatives at greenseal.org.

ABOUT GREEN SEAL

Green Seal® is a global nonprofit organization with a mission to make safer and more sustainable products the norm. For more than three decades, Green Seal has applied rigorous standards for health, environmental sustainability, and product performance to its certification programs to empower better purchasing decisions. Green Seal has certified thousands of products, services, and spaces from hundreds of leading companies and is specified by countless schools, government agencies, businesses, and institutions. Today, the Green Seal certification mark is a universal symbol that a product or service meets a high benchmark of health and environmental leadership. Visit greenseal.org or connect with Green Seal on X and LinkedIn.

Media Contact

Taryn Tuss, Green Seal, 202-872-6400, [email protected], https://greenseal.org 

SOURCE Green Seal



Health

Healthier Generation Announces Largest Number of America’s Healthiest Schools in Program History

Leave a comment


  • Strengthening Social-Emotional Health & Learning, presented in collaboration with Harmony SEL at National University and Kaiser Permanente

Fourteen schools among this year’s awardees earned the All-Star distinction by achieving recognition in all nine topic areas: Bridgeport Elementary School (Calif.), Budlong Elementary School (Ill.), Cedarcreek Elementary School (Calif.), Crestwood Steam Magnet School (Calif.), Emblem Academy (Calif.), James Foster Elementary School (Calif.), Lynch Elementary School (Fla.), Mountainview Elementary School (Calif.), Palmer Elementary School (Ill.), Plum Canyon Elementary School (Calif.), Ponce De Leon Elem School (Fla.), Rosedell Elementary School (Calif.), Santa Clarita Elem School (Calif.), and West Creek Academy (Calif.).

Healthier Generation’s signature recognition program honors schools’ extraordinary efforts to advance the cycle of achievement in whole child health equity for students, staff, and families while grappling with pandemic-related learning loss, high rates of vaping and nicotine addiction, a youth mental health crisis, and other challenges. As honorees of the recognition program, schools reinforce their central role as powerful agents of impact and change for their community at-large.

Healthier Generation created the America’s Healthiest Schools recognition program to promote health equity by promoting policies and practices that address historic and ongoing systemic inequities, especially for Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Color (BIPOC) and youth from under-resourced communities. Among this year’s America’s Healthiest Schools, more than 75% of the awardees are Title I schools, and more than half serve a majority BIPOC students.

“Today, we invite the nation to join us in thanking America’s Healthiest Schools for their commitment to prioritizing the health of their students, staff, communities and families,” said Kathy Higgins, chief executive officer at Healthier Generation. “In these challenging times, these awardees are a testament to the critical role schools play in establishing whole health as foundation and essential to learning environments — so that all children may thrive.”

On Oct. 13 and 14, Healthier Generation will gather school representatives in Washington, D.C. for the America’s Healthiest Schools Leaders Summit to honor awardees and this year’s Corporate Hero, Kohl’s, for prioritizing the whole health needs of staff and students. More than 450 teachers, administrators, and thought leaders in health will come together to network, share best practices, and recognize the achievements of these distinguished schools.

America’s Healthiest Schools is one of the country’s longest-running nationwide recognition programs honoring schools for achievements in supporting the whole health needs of students and school staff.

Visit HealthierGeneration.org/HealthiestSchools to view 2023’s America’s Healthiest Schools.

About Alliance for a Healthier Generation
Alliance for a Healthier Generation is a leading children’s health organization that advances equitable whole child health. Driven by our passion to ensure that every mind, every body, and every young person is healthy and ready to succeed, our work has reached over 31 million young people and 54,000 schools across the country. To learn more and help make a difference, visit HealthierGeneration.org and join us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Media Contact

Audrey Rodriguez, Alliance for a Healthier Generation, 512-368-0924, [email protected], http://www.healthiergeneration.org 

Krista Washington, Alliance for a Healthier Generation, 919-998-6706, [email protected], http://www.healthiergeneration.org 

Twitter

SOURCE Alliance for a Healthier Generation



Science: Biology

CobbleStone Software Releases New Guide on Legal Tech Tools for Lawyers

Leave a comment


Readers can learn:

  • why lawyers use contract management software.
  • which contract management software tools lawyers use.
  • how to assess which contract management solution they should implement.

Click here to read the full guide!

“We hope that this guide can help lawyers of all types to understand the specific technology they need to streamline legal operations,” says Bradford Jones, VP of Sales and Marketing at CobbleStone Software.

Contact CobbleStone Software to schedule a free demo.

For more information, email [email protected] or call 866-330-0056.

About CobbleStone Software:

CobbleStone Software is a celebrated leader in contract management software solutions whose flagship CLM software solution – CobbleStone Contract Insight – expedites contract management, vendor management, eProcurement, and eSourcing processes while offering seamless integrations, ease-of-use, and high scalability. CobbleStone’s contract lifecycle management solutions provide simplified contract and vendor tracking, highly configurable email alerts, user-friendly calendar notifications, intelligent contract workflow automation, highly robust security options, streamlined authoring of contract templates with dynamic clauses, centralized revenue/cost management, detailed text indexing and searching, future-minded vendor/client ratings, robust document version control, custom contract management reports, speedy IntelliSign® electronic signatures, more intelligent contracts with VISDOM® artificial intelligence and machine learning, and more.

Follow CobbleStone Software on social media:

To stay up to date on contract lifecycle management industry trends and news, subscribe to CobbleStone’s Contract Insights blog.

*IDC, IDC MarketScape: Worldwide SaaS and Cloud-Enabled Buy-Side Contract Life-Cycle Management Applications 2023 Vendor Assessment, Doc# US48785822, March 2023

Media Contact

Simran Bains, CobbleStone Software, 866-330-0056, [email protected], https://www.cobblestonesoftware.com/

Twitter

SOURCE CobbleStone Software



Health

Leading Atlanta Facial Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Benjamin Stong, Selected as an Instructor at Upcoming Elite Deep Plane Facelift Course in Miami

Leave a comment


More about Dr. Benjamin Stong:

Dr. Benjamin Stong is the owner of Kalos Facial Plastic Surgery in Atlanta, Georgia. He graduated from the University Of Alabama School of Medicine and then attended Emory University where he finished his internship in general surgery and residency at the Emory Department of Otolaryngology. Following his residency, Dr. Stong obtained a highly sought-after fellowship in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery with nationally renowned plastic surgeon, Dr. Andrew Jacono in NYC. Throughout his career, Dr. Stong has earned numerous accolades and recognition. Dr. Benjamin Stong’s clinic, Kalos Facial Plastic Surgery in Atlanta, is a state-of-the-art facility, that provides patients with beautiful results, using cutting-edge methods to improve patient comfort, minimize downtime and promote longer-lasting outcomes. Dr. Stong also runs a full-service med spa, The K Spa, which offers the latest non-surgical treatments in facial rejuvenation. Kalos Facial Plastic Surgery is located at 371 East Paces Ferry Rd, Suite 850 in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information on the upcoming course or to schedule a consultation with Dr. Stong, please call (404) 963-6665 or visit http://www.kalos-plasticsurgery.com. 

Media Contact

Dr. Ben Stong, Kalos Facial Plastic Surgery, (404) 963-6665, [email protected], https://www.kalos-plasticsurgery.com/ 

SOURCE Kalos Facial Plastic Surgery

Society: Christianity

Digital Insurance announces honorees for its Women in Insurance Leadership and Women in Insurance Leadership: NEXT 2023 initiatives

Leave a comment


“Our honorees aren’t just navigating the industry’s digital transformation, they’re driving it,” says Patti Harman, Editor-in-Chief of Digital Insurance. “They exhibit the vision, prowess and leadership skills necessary to change their organizations, accelerate the advancement of women and propel the industry’s evolution toward a new, digital age.”

The honorees for Women in Insurance Leadership are:

  • Mary Boyd, President & CEO, Plymouth Rock Assurance Corporation
  • Julie Brown, Executive Vice President, Commercial Insurance, Mobilitas Insurance
  • Elizabeth DeVito, Vice President IoT Solutions, The Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection & Insurance Co.
  • Melissa Gutierrez, Senior Vice President, General Manager, Pets Best Pet Insurance Services
  • Catherine James, Senior Vice President, Retail Operations, Fidelity & Guaranty
  • Kathy Kranz, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Pinnacol Assurance
  • Wendy Mager, Vice President, Business Process Engineering and Project Execution, Kemper
  • Jill Maher, Vice President, Digital Life Insurance, Fidelity Investment Life Insurance Company
  • Merrilee Matchett, Executive Vice President, Head of Global Customer Service and Operations, MetLife
  • Gwen Olson, Claims Innovation Associate Vice President, AFICS, Inc. (American Family Insurance Claims Services)
  • Nicole Pollard, Head of Learning & Development, Digital Insurance Operations, MassMutual
  • Susan P. Roberts, Head of U.S. Strategy, Transformation and Continuous Delivery, John Hancock
  • Michele Sansone, Chief Underwriting Officer, Property, Americas, AXA XL
  • Camila Serna, Executive Vice President, Global Head of Digital Acceleration, Chubb
  • Valerie Turpin, Chief Underwriting Officer Property, Arch Insurance Group

Women in Insurance Leadership: NEXT was launched in 2019 as an expansion to this recognition program by commemorating up and coming leaders in the industry.

“By leading major digital projects at their organizations and standing out as early-career innovators, these women are charting a path toward the C-suite,” Harman adds. “They’re advancing some of the industry’s most forward-thinking initiatives while bringing fresh perspectives and new ways of thinking to a sector that’s primed for change.”

The honorees for Women in Insurance Leadership are:

  • Vuarnet Alonzo, Director, Client Services, CSAA Specialized Services, CSAA Insurance Group
  • Anne Bennett, Innovation and Product Management Officer, Amica Mutual Insurance
  • Bethany Jansen, Strategic Technology Program Manager, American Family Insurance
  • Jadwin Jenkins, Assistant Vice President, Artificial Intelligence Circle Lead, Travelers
  • Rachel Switchenko, Vice President of Customer Solutions, Plymouth Rock Home Assurance Corporation

This year’s honorees will be recognized at WOMEN IN INSURANCE LEADERSHIP conference on November 14, 2023 at the Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile. Conference registration is open to everybody in the industry while an invite-only awards dinner that evening will provide recipients with a new opportunity to connect and celebrate each other’s achievements.

Read more about the honorees and their accomplishments here: https://www.dig-in.com/women-in-insurance-leadership

About Digital Insurance
Digital Insurance is the essential resource for senior executives leading the digital transformation of the insurance industry. Across events and member forums, original research reports, and editorial news and analysis, Digital Insurance examines business-critical topics in technology innovation, data advancements, insurtech market trends, and transformation strategies. The brand convenes the community around the ideas and insights they need to stay ahead of the competition and the real-world examples of impact that they can bring back to their companies.

About Arizent
Arizent is a business information company that advances professional communities by providing insights and analysis and convening industry leaders. The company uses deep industry expertise and a data-driven platform to deliver its services, which include subscriptions, marketing services, live events and access to Leaders, an executive forum. Arizent also connects business communities through leading financial services brands like American Banker, The Bond Buyer, Financial Planning and National Mortgage News, as well as professional services brands like Accounting Today, Employee Benefit News and Digital Insurance. 

Media Contact

Jamie Billington, Arizent, 212-803-8500, [email protected], www.Arizent.com 

SOURCE Arizent

Health

The Exceptional Women Alliance (EWA) announces selection of Dr. Tong Zhang, Chief Scientific Officer, Wondfo, as a 2023 Awardee

Leave a comment


“Tong’s specialized scientific background and analytical approach in an extremely technical industry offers a unique perspective to our network. She leads with a progressive mindset and develops teams and businesses that open doors for future generations,” said Larraine Segil, Chair & CEO of EWA. “We welcome Tong to EWA and look forward to her contributions in our expanding network of women!”

“I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Tong for nearly a decade. Within the molecular diagnostics field, she possesses an exceptional ability to spot technologies ripe for commercialization. With her assistance, Wondfo successfully devised a strategy and acquired multiple platforms. Tong excels as an executive and boardroom presence, actively listening to all ideas before sharing her valuable insights and advice. Her track record demonstrates not only efficient plan execution but also adept guidance for others during challenging times,” said Jian Han, Founder & Chairman, iRepertoire & iCubate.

Dr. Zhang is an expert in commercial IVD molecular diagnostics assay research and development, including obtaining FDA 510K and CE approvals for next-generation sample-to-answer medical devices. Her rich background spans molecular and cell biology, infectious disease, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. Additionally, she is renowned for her proficiency in assay development, covering molecular, immunoassay, cellular, and biochemical assays.

With six years of prior service as a board director and advisor for three different biotech companies, Dr. Zhang currently serves on the board of Hura Imaging, a private biotech company.

The Exceptional Women Alliance (EWA) is an invitation only peer mentorship organization where high-potential, high-level Exceptional Women from across multiple industries are hand-selected and invested in, to grow, learn, share, and succeed. In addition to the achievement of significant success, the criteria for acceptance include character traits that are defining of the EWA Culture – Kindness, the Spirit of Generosity, Transparency, Gratitude and Willingness to Share their Networks. The Foundation is a powerhouse of peer-to-peer mentoring that provides guidance, deep connection, and leadership, propelling each woman to sustainable success – one woman at a time. The year-long program enables each member to be connected as alumnae for life in the ever-expanding EWA global network, as their fellow women leaders continue to move into positions of significance. Learn more at https://www.exceptionalwomenalliance.com/
Follow us on Facebook 

Media Contact

Larraine Segil, Exceptional Women Alliance, 3106781499, [email protected], www.exceptionalwomenalliance.com 

LinkedIn Twitter

SOURCE Exceptional Women Alliance



Health

Oshi Health Named Best-in-Class Finalist in Digital Health Hub Foundation’s 5th Annual Digital Health Awards

Leave a comment


“At Oshi, we’ve created a clinically rigorous care model to alleviate suffering from digestive health conditions by offering fast access to proven care and therapies, removing patient burdens, and delivering a superior high-touch patient experience,” said Sam Holliday, CEO of Oshi Health. “Telemedicine is an unprecedented tool to enable value-based care, and Oshi is proud to be recognized for demonstrating its potential to transform American healthcare.”

Digestive conditions negatively impact the well-being of 25% of Americans and incur costs greater than heart disease and diabetes. Oshi Health democratizes access to high-value digestive care proven to improve outcomes and significantly reduce healthcare costs. Oshi provides diagnosis and multidisciplinary care through a hybrid collaborative care model, extending and enhancing in-person care and empowering people to gain lasting control of their symptoms and improve their quality of life.

The winners will be announced at the Grand Finale taking place at HLTH on the Moon Stage on October 9, 2023. Visit Oshi Health in the Digital Medicine Society (DiMe)‘s Virtual-First Care (V1C) Pavilion, where Holliday will also be hosting a series of booth-side chats.

About Oshi Health
Oshi Health is a completely redesigned digestive health care experience that transforms access to care, the patient experience, clinical outcomes and healthcare economics. In a high-touch virtual care delivery model, Oshi Health provides diagnosis and integrated care for digestive conditions and empowers people to achieve lasting control of their symptoms. Launched in 2020, Oshi Health works with innovative employers, health insurance partners, health systems and community GI practices to scale access to multidisciplinary care, reduce healthcare costs, and improve the lives of millions of Americans with chronic gastrointestinal diseases. For more information, visit http://www.oshihealth.com.

About Digital Health Hub Foundation

Health Hub SF LLC, doing business as the Digital Health Hub Foundation, is a 501(c)3 non-profit, supported by the healthcare venture capital community and others, whose mission is to help the world’s next best innovative healthcare companies scale and grow.

Founded in 2017, on the campus of UCSF in San Francisco, our 30,000 member community consists of thousands of early-to-late-stage healthcare companies and highly qualified healthcare industry providers, payors, experts, mentors, investors, clinicians and researchers who participate in our annual awards ceremony where we bring together the industry to honor and validate the best of the best and celebrate the technological advances in healthcare and the impact it has. 

Media Contact

Stephanie Hicks, Cosmo Public Relations, Inc for Oshi Health, 805-295-9455, [email protected], Oshi Health

SOURCE Oshi Health

Health

Dr. Carl Barrett Joins Corista as Chief Life Sciences Officer

Leave a comment


“We’re excited to welcome Dr. Barrett to the Corista leadership team. His background and experience are perfectly positioned to help us better serve digital image management needs of the medical and life sciences markets, creating a more comprehensive solution, and advancing our expansion into new markets,” said Corista CEO Liz Wingard.

“Corista has been a pioneer in developing digital pathology solutions and continues to push its boundaries. I’m enthusiastic about joining a team dedicated to delivering the integration of digital imagery, patient data, biomarkers, and analytics within individual patient files, to accelerate healthcare research and outcomes,” said Dr. Barrett. “My objective is to help Corista bring to market new capabilities that will make our solution an all-encompassing platform for scientists and physicians.”

Prior to joining Corista, Dr. Barrett was Vice President of Translational Medicine and Oncology Biomarker Development in Oncology Research and Development at AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals. His responsibilities included:

  • Developing and executing biomarker strategies and translational sciences efforts to support drug development
  • Backing translational research through early and full development in oncology
  • Leading a team of experts in genomics, proteomics, computational biology, informatics, computational pathology, and AI

Dr. Barrett also served as the Global Head of Oncology Biomarkers and Imaging at Novartis Oncology Translational Medicine. He was the founding Director of the NCI Center for Cancer Research (CCR), which is part of the NCI Intramural Center for Translational Medicine and Novel Technologies.

Trained as a chemist at the College of William and Mary, Dr. Barrett received his Ph.D. in Biophysical Chemistry from Johns Hopkins University. He has published more than 600 research articles and reviews in leading scientific journals and books.

“Dr. Barrett’s eminent track record speaks volumes. His long-standing research interests have led to several contributions to identifying molecular defects in cancers and the role of the biosystem in the carcinogenesis process. When combining his natural curiosity and interests with what we aim to accomplish in digital pathology, the possibilities are endless,” said Wingard.

Currently, Dr. Barrett is a member of the Johns Hopkins University Society of Scholars, an elected member of the Ramazini Foundation and an honorary member of the Japanese Cancer Association.

About Corista

Corista delivers the industry’s most extensive array of workflow, analytical and collaborative tools for pathology. Medical centers can seamlessly integrate with LIS/EHRs in a unified digital environment of whole-slide, gross and static pathology images. Physicians have 21st-century tools to collaborate, communicate, teach, and report with access to ‘best of breed’ image analytics. Specialists can receive digital consults from remote physicians and patients from across the globe, and investigator-initiated researchers have a research and development platform to develop and apply their algorithms. Corista provides for a new level of interoperability for pathology, integrating whole slide image scanning systems, image analytics, and LIS/EHR platforms with a rich, collaborative environment for physicians, patients, biotech, and pharmaceutical scientists. This is Integrated Pathology™ only from Corista.

Media Contact

Nadine Melo, Corista, 1 3055877096, [email protected], https://corista.com/

SOURCE Corista

Health

Well-Respected New York Plastic Surgery Practice, New You Plastic Surgery, Opens Poughkeepsie, NY, and Englewood, NJ, Practice Locations

Leave a comment


More About New You Plastic Surgery:

New You Plastic Surgery is the practice of board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Jeremy Nikfarjam. At New You Plastic Surgery in NYC, located at 461 Park Avenue South, 3rd floor, the providers and staff deliver a wide range of cosmetic treatments and plastic surgery procedures to help individuals look their best using cutting-edge surgical techniques for optimal results including Mommy Makeovers, breast implants, facelifts, rhinoplasties, head-to-toe transformations or reconstructive surgeries from an injuries. They pride themselves on providing a comfortable and welcoming experience with personalized care. New You Plastic Surgery provides a range of financing, payment, and insurance options. For more information or to schedule a consultation at the Manhattan location, please visit http://www.thenewyouplasticsurgery.com or call 212-843-9170, and to reach the Englewood, NJ, Poughkeepsie or Roslyn, NY, locations, call 516-279-2616.

Media Contact

Colleen Cannataro, New You Plastic Surgery, 212-843-9170, [email protected], https://www.thenewyouplasticsurgery.com/

SOURCE New You Plastic Surgery

Health: Addiction

A-Alpha Bio Collaborates with Amgen to Identify and Validate Ligase-Target Pairs for Molecular Glue Discovery

Leave a comment


“Our work with Amgen over the past six months has been exciting and fruitful. We have enjoyed collaborating with an incredible industry-leading team on this major area of interest,” said David Younger, CEO and Co-Founder of A-Alpha Bio. “We look forward to expanding our collaboration and moving into the validation of glueability and the generation of data to inform rational molecular glue discovery. Combining our technology and expertise with Amgen’s has the potential to generate high-impact therapeutics and advance our mission to improve human health.”

To learn more about A-Alpha Bio and the AlphaSeq platform, please visit: https://www.aalphabio.com/.

About A-Alpha Bio
A-Alpha Bio uses synthetic biology and machine learning to measure, discover, predict, and engineer protein-protein interactions.

The company’s AlphaSeq platform applies synthetic biology to experimentally measure millions of protein-protein interaction affinities simultaneously. Protein binding data is incorporated into the company’s AlphaBind platform to train machine learning models that predict binding from sequence. A-Alpha Bio uses both platforms to discover and optimize high-impact therapeutics for their own pipeline and in partnership with industry leaders.

A-Alpha Bio is based in Seattle and was founded in 2017 at the University of Washington’s Institute for Protein Design and Center for Synthetic Biology. To learn more, please visit: https://www.aalphabio.com/

Media Contact

Cameron Gordon, A-Alpha Bio, 4105049380, [email protected], https://www.aalphabio.com/

SOURCE A-Alpha Bio